The Budding Flower
by Lillypool
Summary: Lilypaw is an apprentice of Thunderclan trying to lead a normal life. But when a mysterious loner named Smile shows up, her life won't stay normal for long. Story is better then the summary- I stink at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**So...this is my first ever fanfic. Yay! Here are the allegiances and a small prolouge.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own warriors, but I wish that I did.**

ALLEGIANCES  
ThunderClan

Leader: Hollowstar: muscular brown tabby tom

Deputy: Goldstorm: cream-furred tom  
Apprentice: Robinpaw (Robinflight)  
Medicine Cat: Willowheart: grey-brown she-cat

Warriors:  
Dustcloud: brown tom with black flecks  
Leopardblaze: leopard-spotted she-cat  
Wolfstorm: black she-cat with silver stripes  
Apprentice: Waterpaw  
Badgerhead: black and white patched tom  
Ambernose: tawny golden she-cat  
Whiskerheart: pale brown tom  
Russetstripe: red-brown tom  
Apprentice: Tallpaw (Tallclaw)  
Driftwhisker: silver-blue she-cat  
Poppypelt: tortoiseshell she-cat

Apprentices:  
Waterpaw: smoky blue-furred tom  
Robinpaw: light brown she-cat  
Tallpaw: light brown tabby tom

Queens:  
Nightfur: Black she-cat with white chest. Kits are Gracekit and Lilykit  
Flamepelt: red-furred she-cat. Kits are Greenkit and Wildkit.

Elders:  
Mousefall: dusty brown tom

WindClan

Leader: Springstar: tortoiseshell she-cat

Deputy: Tunnelclaw: dark brown tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Cloverpelt: grey (with darker flecks) she-cat

Warriors:  
Cherrypelt: ginger she-cat  
Oatclaw: tawny golden tom  
Strawflower: gold-colored she-cat  
Apprentice: Grasspaw  
Hedgehogtail: russet-colored tom  
Runningpad: lithe brown tom  
Rabbitleap: orange and white she-cat  
Dogchase: brown and white tom  
Browntail: dark brown she-cat  
Apprentice: Tawnypaw

Sparrowpad: light brown tom with darker stripes  
Apprentice: Curlypaw

Apprentices:  
Tawnypaw: tawny golden she-cat  
Curlypaw: cream-furred she-cat  
Grasspaw: dark brown tabby tom

Queens:  
Creamtail: light brown she-cat. Kits are Horsekit and Cloudkit

Elders:  
Bubblestorm: cream-furred she-cat  
Aspenwillow: grey she-cat  
Swiftclaw: lithe silver-grey tom

ShadowClan

Leader: Froststar: white tom with black paws and tail- tip

Deputy: Doveclaw: pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Ravenwing: black she-cat with a white chest

Warriors:  
Shrewstep: pale brown tom  
Squirrelmouth: ginger she-cat  
Gigglenose: orange and white she-cat  
Weaselheart: dusty brown tom  
Tigerleap: orange and black tom  
Jumpmouth: small tortoiseshell tom  
Monkeystripe: dark brown she-cat  
Metalclaw: steely grey tom  
Crowclaw: black she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices:  
Skunkpaw: black and white striped tom  
Yellowpaw: gold-furred tom

Queens:  
Cinderclaw: dark grey she-cat. Kits are Scorchkit  
Moonclaw: All-black she-cat. Expecting Weaselheart's kits

Elders:  
Smokestorm: dark grey tom with black stripes  
Flowerspot: tortoiseshell she-cat

RiverClan

Leader: Troutstar: dark brown tom

Deputy: Petalspot: tortoiseshell she-cat  
Apprentice: Sparklepaw

Medicine Cat: Redmask: ginger tom  
Apprentice: Blackpaw

Warriors:  
Beaverclaw: dark brown tom  
Ripplepool: blue grey she-cat  
Apprentice: Sealpaw  
Otterleap: dark grey tom  
Violetclaw: tortoiseshell she-cat  
Streamripple: light grey she-cat  
Berrywhisker: ginger she-cat  
Pineheart: brown and grey tom  
Shywhisker: tortoiseshell tom  
Apprentice: Icepaw

Apprentices:  
Sparklepaw: white she-cat with green eyes  
Sealpaw: silver-blue tom  
Icepaw: white tom with blue eyes (Iceblade)  
Blackpaw: black she-cat. Medicine cat apprentice

Queens:  
Shellwhisker: light grey tabby she-cat. Kits are Oakkit, Dawnkit, and Dolphinkit

Elders:  
Fogmask: dappled grey she-cat  
Beetlewing: black and white tom

Other cats  
Smile: dark brown tom with lighter yellow patches

Prologue

The only thing that could be heard in the beautiful forest was the sound of birds chirping. After a while, twelve cats with stars flickering around their paws crept out of the shadows and made a ring around a pool. Then, a large white tom with black paws growled "Well, Bluestar, are you going to get this meeting started or what?"

A blue grey she cat replied "yes Blackstar. I was merely waiting until we were all settled. Now, we are all aware that there is danger coming to the forest, correct?" The cats all nodded. "We are here to decide what to do about it. Which clan will he go to? And who should we tell about it?"

A leopard spotted she cat meowed "He won't come to RiverClan!"

"Or ShadowClan!" agreed a black tom.

Then a ginger tom spoke up. "You know, he will most likely go to ThunderClan. Hollowstar is as soft-hearted as I was."

"What is the big deal? He is just a loner," said another grey she-cat.

"Enough!" Bluestar exclaimed. "First of all, Mistystar, what does it matter that he is just a loner? Sol was just a loner, and look at how much trouble he caused. Second, Firestar is probably right about the loner going to ThunderClan. After all, we are noticeably soft hearted.

Blackstar purred in agreement, and Firestar snarled at him.

"Who should we warn about this problem?" asked Onestar, a former WindClan leader. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."

A dark tabby padded to the side of the pool. "I think that I know." He touched the pool with the tip of his tail, and the reflection of a cat appeared.

"Are you sure Bramblestar?" asked Rowanstar, who had been ShadowClan leader at the same time as Bramblestar. "After all, she is only a kit."

After a few moments of silence, a dark grey she-cat named Ashstar mewed "there was a prophecy, wasn't there."

"Yes," Bramblestar replied, "and it went like this: A stranger is coming, and he will threaten the clans with his sinister plans. But just as Greenleaf overtakes Leafbare, a flower shall bloom, defeat the stranger, and save the clans."  
"But that means..." mewed a skinny black and white tom.

"She is the one that will save them all," was Bramblestar's reply.

**R&R...I'll update a lot faster :)**

**Lillypool**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, I thought that the first chapter was a little too small to post on its own, so here is chapter two.**

Chapter two

"Wake up Lilykit, wake up!" Lilykit awoke to the sound of her sister Gracekit.

"C'mon, this is our last day as kits!"

Lilykit stretched and purred. "Okay, I'm coming," she mewed.

The two kits padded out of the nursery and into the camp. Their mother Nightfur followed them. "Now you two," Nightfur meowed gently, "don't play too roughly-you don't want to have dirty coats for your apprentice ceremony."

"Yes mother," replied Lilykit, and then took off after her sister.

After a quick breakfast of mouse, the pair went looking around the camp for someone to play with.

"Hey guys," mewed Greenkit. She was a moon younger then Lilykit, but the two were best friends. "Do you want to play?" Her sister Wildkit was right behind her.

"Sure, but what?" Gracekit asked.

Lilykit spotted some moss growing at the edge of the camp "how 'bout moss ball?"

"Sure!" said Wildkit.

The kits grabbed a piece of moss and started tossing it around. Unfortunately, at the exact moment Wolfstorm started walking toward the group, Lilykit and Greenkit batted the moss ball straight into the air as hard as they could. The ball landed straight on top of Wolfstorm's head.

"Sorry!" the four kits squeaked. Lilykit was sure that they were going to be in huge trouble, but Wolfstorm just shrugged

She mewed "kits will be kits I suppose, and two of you won't be kits for much longer. Enjoy it while you can," and walked past them to the fresh-kill pile. _Phew_ thought Lilykit, and then she scampered off after her friends to retrieve the moss ball.

The kits played until the sun had almost gone down. Then, just to make their mother happy, Gracekit and Lilykit groomed themselves until their coats shown. Lilykit grabbed a piece of prey to share with her sister, and they settled down to wait.

"Oh, I hope that Hollowstar calls the clan together soon," Lilykit said to her sister.

A minute later, Hollowstar jumped onto Highledge and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

"This is it! This is it!" whispered Gracekit.

Hollowstar continued "Now first of all, we have two apprentices that are ready to become warriors. I, Hollowstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn your warrior code. Tallpaw and Robinpaw, do you promise to protect the clan and defend the warrior code, even if it may cost you your life?"

Tallpaw and Robinpaw responded "I do," while Lilykit was almost bouncing because of her anticipation for her own ceremony.

"Then I give you your warrior names," Hollowstar meowed. "Tallpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tallclaw. We honor your determination."

After he said this, Hollowstar licked the top of Tallclaw's head, and then let him go. Hollowstar then repeated the procedure with Robinpaw, naming her Robinflight.

The clan called out "Tallclaw, Robinflight," and Lilykit called along with them. She knew that she would become an apprentice next!

Finally, Hollowstar mewed, "We also have two kits that have reached their sixth moon. Gracekit, come forward."

Lilykit watched as Gracekit dashed forward to stand in front of Hollowstar. He purred, and then continued, saying "Gracekit, from this day on until you have become a warrior, you shall be known as Gracepaw. Driftwhisker, I hope that you share with her your strength and cleverness."

Then Gracepaw and Driftwhisker touched noses, and Hollowstar called Lilykit forward.

He meowed "Lilykit, from this day on until you have become a warrior, you shall be known as Lilypaw. Leopardblaze, I hope that you pass on to her your skills in battle."

Lilypaw stepped forward to touch noses with her new mentor. Then, she turned as the clan called out her new name. Her eyes gleamed with pride.

After the meeting was over, Lilypaw padded up to Leopardblaze. "What are we going to do now? Are we going training?"

"It's too dark to do any training," Leopardblaze replied, her whiskers twitching in amusement. "You go find a nest in your new den, and tomorrow we will tour the territory."

Lilypaw's whiskers drooped with disappointment- she would have to wait more? She turned and fetched Gracepaw, and they padded over to they apprentice den, where they found Waterpaw inside.

"Hello," he greeted them. "You can have Robinflight and Tallclaw's old nests. I'll miss them, but at least I've got new denmates."

Lilypaw was too exhausted to reply. She curled up with her tail over her nose, and started dreaming about all that she would see tomorrow. She was an apprentice!

**R&R please- I need an excuse to post!**

**Lillypool**


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to the four of you that reviewed. To the rest of you...I know that your out there! Anyways, I really wanted to post again, so here it is. But first, a reply to the reviews:**

**Madison of higgins clan: Sorry, but that is NOT going to happen. I have a very strong idea of Smile's personality, and let's just say that he's not her type. You'll see why in this chapter. However, there will be some romance later on, with a strong possibility of a GreenXSmile pairing.**

**Cinderstar 377: Your right; some of those daylight warriors should not be in the clan. But, then again, the story wouldn't be the same without Billystorm.**

**catpaw: Sorry, but my imagination kind of went crazy on me when I was coming up with those names. Some of the names just really seemed to work for the characters, and some of them, well, I just wasn't thinking. But anyways, thanks for the review****  
**

**Guest: Well, not much to reply to, but thanks for the review!**

Chapter Three

The next morning, Lilypaw was awake at the crack of dawn. She stretched, and then remembered where she was. She bounded out of the den and straight over to Leopardblaze.

"When are we leaving?" she asked excitedly. "Can we go out now?"

Leopardblaze replied "Eat first. Then I will find Driftwhisker and Gracepaw, and we can go tour the territory."

As Lilypaw snagged a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile, she thought about how soon she would be able to hunt for her clan. She couldn't wait to do that either!

Lilypaw finished her squirrel and followed her clanmates out of camp.

"Where are we going?" Gracepaw asked.

Driftwhisker looked at Leopardblaze as she replied "the twoleg nest. It is where Willowheart grows her herbs." Leopardblaze nodded in approval.

After a while, they reached an old abandoned twoleg nest. "What do you smell?" Leopardblaze asked.

"It smells like the medicine den," replied Lilypaw.

"Very good. Twolegs lived here a long time ago, but they are long gone, so it doesn't smell of them. Next we will head on to the WindClan border."

They continued on until they reached a place where the trees turned into moor, and Lilypaw caught a whiff of a scent she had never smelt before. "Is that WindClan?" she asked.

"It is," Leopardblaze meowed. "Unfortunately, they haven't been too friendly lately, so it would be best if we stayed away."

They padded on until they reached the lake, and when they got there Lilypaw's eyes widened in awe. The lake was huge! She could just barely see the trees on the other side, where she knew that RiverClan lived. The patrol walked along the shore for a while, then turned into the forest.

As they approached a stream running through the woods, a rank stench hit the roof of Lilypaw's mouth. "What's that?" she asked.

"ShadowClan," growled Driftwhisker. "I'd stay away if I were you," she meowed as Gracepaw walked closer to the stream. "Froststar and his warriors are very touchy about the borders." Gracepaw leapt back as if she had been stung.

Then Lilypaw spotted a dark shape farther upstream. "What is that?" she asked.

"It's a trespasser!" Leopardblaze replied "You two stay right here. Driftwhisker and I will take care of this."

Of course, Lilypaw and Gracepaw were too curious to stay put, so they followed their mentors as they bounded off to the dark colored cat. Before the stranger could say a word, Driftwhisker and Leopardblaze were upon him. Then Lilypaw noticed that the stranger was a tom no older then she was.

"Wait," he croaked. "My name is Smile. I just want to talk to your leader."

"How did you know about our leader?" asked Leopardblaze suspiciously.

"My throat-please get off," was Smile's reply, which was logical, because Driftwhisker was sitting on it.

Gracepaw and Lilypaw asked, "Do we get to fight him?" with excitement in their voices.

"No," Driftwhisker replied as she climbed off of the loner. "Since he asked to see Hollowstar, we have to take him to camp."

The patrol then turned and then stalked back to camp with Smile in the middle of them. Lilypaw watched the tom walk, and then decided that there was something that she didn't like about this cat. Even though he was her age, Smile walked with a kind of a swagger, like he knew that he was better then everyone else. _He is too confident_ she thought.

Once they got to camp, the ThunderClan cats immediately picked up the new scent. "Who's that?" asked Dustcloud, who was actually Gracepaw and Lilypaw's father.

Lilypaw replied "He said his name is Smile, and he wants to talk to Hollowstar. We caught him on the ShadowClan border."

"Great job," Dustcloud replied. "Look, there is Hollowstar now. Why don't you take our guest to him?"

So Lilypaw followed her mentor over to where Hollowstar was sitting. When they got there, Smile dipped his head to Hollowstar in greeting. He meowed. "Hello... um, what is your name?"

"Hollowstar."

"Yes, uh Hollowstar," continued Smile. "I am here because I simply don't have a place to go. My mother died recently, and I never knew my father. I heard about the clans, and decided to try my luck living with them. I would be extremely honored if you would make me a clan warrior."

Hollowstar replied. "I need a while to think about this. Goldstorm," he called to the tom across the camp, "gather the senior warriors and meet me in my den."

"But Hollowstar," protested Leopardblaze, "why would we just let a loner into the clan? He might not have the necessary skills."

"You seem to be forgetting that the great leader Firestar was a kittypet himself at one point," Hollowstar countered. Then he stalked away to his den with Dustcloud, Wolfstorm, Goldstorm, Ambernose, and Willowheart behind him.

_But Sol was a loner too,_thought Lilypaw as she remembered the elder's stories. _I still don't like the looks of Smile._

The whole clan paced the clearing, staring at Smile and waiting for Hollowstar's decision. After a while, the warriors came out of the den, and Hollowstar jumped onto the top of Highledge and called the clan together.

"You all know that there is a loner among us who would like to train as a warrior. The senior warriors and I have decided to..."

Lilypaw held her breath in anticipation

"Let the loner train as an apprentice, because he is the right age. We agreed that it would dishonor the memory of Firestar if we said that cats outside of the clans cannot become warriors. From now on, this apprentice will be known as Smilepaw. Dustcloud will be his mentor." With that, Hollowstar leapt off of Highledge and back into his den.

Lilypaw let out her breath in an angry whoosh. She would have to train with him? Then Dustcloud came up to her and asked, "Will you take Smilepaw to the den? I would appreciate it if you would help him until he gets used to training."

Of course, this put Lilypaw in an even worse mood. She yowled over her shoulder for Smilepaw, and then stalked over to the apprentice den.

She started disliking Smilepaw even more when they got into the apprentice den. He immediately went over to the closest nest and plopped down. Lilypaw growled in frustration; he was in her nest!

"This is my nest," she mewed as she walked over to him. He ignored her.

She prodded him with her claw. "Get out!"

"Geez, you don't have to be rude," Smilepaw replied. He clambered out. "Where is the extra moss?" he asked Waterpaw.

"Over on the other edge of the camp," was Waterpaw's terse reply.

"Could you get me some?"

Waterpaw growled, "I think that you are quite capable of building your own nest."

Smilepaw stalked out, and Lilypaw purred. She disliked Smilepaw even more, but she was starting to like having Waterpaw as a denmate. He caught her eye and purred too. She knew then that she wasn't the only one that didn't trust Smilepaw. It was definitely good to have Waterpaw on her side.

**Once again, I know that you're out there. REVIEW please.**

**Lillypool**


	4. Chapter 4

**I decided to post two chapters at once, just because. Hope that this inspires some of you to REVIEW! Thanks goes to the three of you that reviewed the last chapter. You're awesome.**

**Guest: Thanks. Hope this chapter is up to par. :)**

**Cinderstar 377: I see you! Thanks for the review.**

**madision of higgins clan: Yeah, the whole story of Lilypaw is based off of her dislike of Smilepaw. But don't worry, she will end up with someone even better. **

Chapter Four

"C'mon," meowed Leopardblaze, while Lilypaw bounced with excitement. They were going hunting! Over the past three days, Lilypaw had stayed in camp, teaching Smilepaw and helping the elders. She had gone training once with Leopardblaze, but that was it. Now, it was just her and Leopardblaze. No Smilepaw.

They eventually came to the Ancient Oak near the lake. "Now, what do you look for?" Leopardblaze asked.

Lilypaw answered, "Leaves rustling. I also should use my nose to scent if any prey is nearby."

"Correct," Leopardblaze replied. "Let's try in that bracken. Do you smell anything?"

"Yes, mouse!" meowed Lilypaw excitedly. "Can I try and get it?" Leopardblaze nodded.

Lilypaw crouched down like she had been taught in the training session. She paused, stalked closer, and then spotted a flash of brown. There was the mouse, scavenging for seeds. She crept closer and closer. Then the mouse sat up; it seemed to notice that something was wrong. _Now,_Lilypaw thought. With that, she leapt into the air and landed on the mouse. "Thanks, StarClan," she breathed as she picked up her kill.

Lilypaw padded back to Leopardblaze, and the pair hunted all day. When the two returned to where they had buried their catch, Leopardblaze turned to Lilypaw.

"You hunted well today," she mewed. "Would you like to go to the Gathering tonight?" Lilypaw nodded, her whiskers twitching in excitement: she would get to meet the other clans!

Leopardblaze continued, "You and Smilepaw and Gracepaw shall all go. Your names will all be announced."

Lilypaw thought about Smilepaw. Over the past few days, he had grown friendlier. He was polite to the warriors, and was willing to help the elders. She still didn't trust him, but...

"Lilypaw," Leopardblaze meowed. "Tonight, if you don't want to stay with me, choose a warrior to stay with. Learn how to behave at Gatherings from them."

Lilypaw nodded and thought about which warrior to stay with. _Tallclaw,_ she decided. The tom was very friendly to her, and had taught her some training moves when she was a kit. He also agreed with her views on Smilepaw.

She told Leopardblaze, "I will stay with Tallclaw. Is that alright?" Leopardblaze nodded.

The two queens padded back to camp. When they got there, Leopardblaze mewed to Lilypaw, "Go rest for the Gathering. You will be up late tonight."

Lilypaw walked over to the den and curled up. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

The patrol gathered later that evening, and the three apprentices were excited. Along with Gracepaw, Lilypaw and Smilepaw, Leopardblaze, Dustcloud, Tallclaw, Robinflight, Driftwhisker, Goldstorm, Willowheart, and Hollowstar were going to the Gathering.

"Let's go," commanded Hollowstar, and the patrol padded out of camp.

As the cats walked along, Smilepaw turned to Lilypaw and asked, "Do you do this every moon?"

"Yes we do," Lilypaw replied.

"This is our first gathering too!" interjected Gracepaw. "I can't wait until we get to see the island and the other clans."

The patrol came up to the ShadowClan border and leapt across the stream. "Wouldn't it be easier to go through WindClan's territory?" Lilypaw asked the nearest warrior, Robinflight.

"Yes, but they haven't been very friendly lately. I know that there is a truce tonight, but Hollowstar still doesn't trust them," she replied.

Shortly, the cats crossed another border, and Lilypaw was pretty sure that they were in RiverClan territory.

"Hey Lilypaw," Smilepaw meowed. "I had a question about the warrior code. Do you have to follow it all the time? Or is it just optional?"

Although the question annoyed Lilypaw, her reply was, "I can't answer that right now."

"Why...oh."

They had arrived at the tree bridge.

It was a gigantic elm that spanned a gap of dark black water. Lilypaw was suddenly scared about crossing it.

"C'mon, you're holding us up," said Smilepaw when it was Lillpaw's turn to cross. She gulped and looked down at the water. Then, she reminded herself that her clanmates would save her if she fell. She took a deep breath, and padded across. A few minutes later, she jumped off the other end and sighed in relief.

Lilypaw whispered, "Wow," as the patrol padded into the clearing on the island. The place was packed with cats!

"Remember, stay with Tallclaw," said Leopardblaze, who then bounded off to talk to other cats of the clans.

"Where did he go?" muttered Lilypaw. Finally she spotted him over by a pair of white cats that smelled of fish and water.

Tallclaw dipped his head in greeting. "This is Iceblade and Sparklepaw from Riverclan. Iceblade is one of my friends, and he just became a warrior, like me," he told her.

"Yep, and Troutstar is going to announce it tonight!" confirmed Iceblade. He seemed nice enough, if not a little shy. The four cats chatted until a tortoiseshell she-cat leaped to the top of the tree in the clearing and called, "Let us begin the Gathering!"

"That's Springstar from WindClan," whispered Sparklepaw to Lilypaw, so that Lilypaw missed what Springstar said next. When she looked up, Hollowstar had climbed to the top.

He declared, "ThunderClan has had a successful moon. I am pleased to announce that we have three new apprentices, Lilypaw, Smilepaw, and Gracepaw. They are here for the first time tonight."

"Lilypaw, Smilepaw, Gracepaw," chanted the assembled cats. Lilypaw's chest swelled up with pride.

"We also have two new warriors," continued Hollowstar, "Their names are Tallclaw and Robinflight." Lilypaw called out their names along with all of the other cats. She watched Tallclaw sit up straighter just as she had moments before, his happiness plain on his face.

The rest of the gathering passed quietly, with the only other eventful moment being when Troutstar announced Iceblade's name. The tom seemed to shrink back, but it was evident that he was proud.

As the patrol padded out of the clearing, Lilypaw looked back once more. It was then that she knew: One day, she would be the one announcing ThunderClan's news. One day, she would lead the clan!

**So, do you think that Lilypaw will someday be leader? Any feedback on Iceblade and Sparklepaw? Please review, even if it is to point out that cats don't know what a blade is besides a blade of grass. I know that I'm rambling, but if you review, I might stop XD. Anyway, the point is, Review! **

**On to the next chapter**

**Lillypool**


	5. Chapter 5

**Haha- two chapters in one day! Although, I have to admit, I already had chapters 1-5 written. Oh well. But anyways, I replied to reviews in the last chapter, so here is the story**

Chapter Five

"Now, pay close attention. This move is called the leap and hold, and it can be used to great effect," meowed Leopardblaze to Smilepaw, Lilypaw, and Gracepaw. The three apprentices and their mentors were in the training clearing, practicing their battle training. "What you do," she continued, "is leap onto a larger cat's back, and hold on. If you and a partner do this together, there is a good chance that you can overpower him."

Dustcloud chimed in, "Why don't you three try and use that move to tip me over?" He advanced, bushing his fur up so that he looked all the bigger.

The apprentices looked at each other. "One, Two, Three," Gracepaw whispered. With that, the apprentices let out a battle yowl and attacked Dustcloud. Lilypaw landed straight on his back, while Gracepaw and Smilepaw started clawing at his legs, to tip him over. Dustcloud tried to duck and roll, but Lilypaw hung on, and Gracepaw and Smilepaw leapt on with her

"Very good," meowed Driftwhisker in amusement. Then she saw what Smilepaw was doing. His claws were out, and he was scratching his own mentor! "Smilepaw, stop!" cried Leopardblaze. "That is not the way we train. Claws stay sheathed unless we are in a real battle."

He looked confused, and sat up, sheathing his claws. "But why...?"

"No buts," interrupted Driftwhisker. "We do NOT claw our clanmates. They are our family, and if I see you doing something like this again, you will be punished. Now, this is how you do a front paw strike..."

The lesson continued until the apprentices had learned the front paw strike, the back kick, and many other useful training moves. Finally, Leopardblaze said, "Would you three like to train by yourselves for a while?" The three of them nodded in agreement.

Alright," continued Leopardblaze. "Practice the moves that we showed you, but be back to camp before sundown. The three of us will be out hunting." With a flick of her tail, Leopardblaze led the three mentors out of the clearing.

"Well, what should we practice first?" Gracepaw asked. Then Smilepaw had an idea.

"Why don't we have a mock battle?" he suggested. "Everyone for themselves, and we go until one of us gives up. Sound good?" Lilypaw and Gracepaw nodded.

"One, Two, Three, Go!" shouted Smilepaw.

In a flash, Lilypaw was on Smilepaw's back, and Gracepaw was scratching Lilypaw, while Smilepaw tried to fight both of them at once. Then, he went limp. Lilypaw backed off, scared that she had hurt him. In a flash, Smilepaw was on her, forcing Gracepaw off. Lilypaw felt his claws come unsheathed, and he started raking her back with his paws.

"Stop!" Lilypaw yowled as she dumped him to the ground. "Didn't you listen when Driftwhisker said to keep our claws sheathed?! I'm going back to camp, and you are going to get what you deserved. It will take ages for these scars to heal."

Smilepaw looked a little scared at that prospect. "Please don't tell," he said. "It was an accident." He seemed a little too confident for someone who could get into huge trouble.

"Fine," Lilypaw sighed eventually. "But if it happens again, I am going straight to Dustcloud. Come on Gracepaw." With that, Lilypaw turned and stalked back to camp, her back burning from the scratches. At the barrier, she licked the blood off of her pelt so that her clanmates wouldn't worry.

And yet, some of the warriors were very observant. "Are you O.K?" Badgerhead asked as she passed him. Lilypaw nodded, but then she caught Ambernose staring at her in curiosity. She sighed again, and padded to her den with a mouse from the fresh kill pile. Waterpaw walked in, and looked worried about her, but had the sense to keep quiet. Lilypaw fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, Lilypaw bounded out into the clearing feeling somewhat refreshed. Then Tallclaw came up to her.

"Hey, do you and Leopardblaze want to come on border patrol with me and Russetstripe?" he asked. "Hollowstar said that we could take whoever we wanted."

Lilypaw mewed, "just a second, I'll ask Leopardblaze," and then bounded off to find her mentor. Leopardblaze agreed to go, so the four cats met at the camp entrance and headed off to the ShadowClan border. "So, how is training going?" asked Tallclaw casually, but the look in his eyes suggested that he was very curious about something. _The scratches, _Lilypaw thought.

She replied, "It has been going well. I think that I am really getting the hang of it. I especially like hunting."

Tallclaw opened his mouth to say something, but Lilypaw beat him to it. "Before you ask," she mewed, "I can't tell you where I got these scars from. I swore not to. I promise that it is not from anyone that is planning to attack the clan, and that it was just an accident."

"Oh." Tallclaw replied. Then he thought for a moment. "You know, they look a lot like the scratches Dustcloud got when he was fighting Smilepaw." There was a mischievous gleam in his eye, and Lilypaw knew that he had figured her out.

The cats chatted amiably as they finished the patrol and headed back to camp. As they passed through the entrance tunnel, Lilypaw had the feeling that someone was watching her. She turned around, but there was nothing there...

"Ambush!" cried a familiar voice. With that, Greenkit and Wildkit popped out of the brambles on either side of the tunnel and leapt on top of Lilypaw. She purred and started wrestling with her old playmates. Then Gracepaw came over, and the ambush turned into a full out tussle.

"Alright,"meowed Leopardblaze. "Lilypaw, since you have done so well in training lately, you can have the rest of the day off, and Gracepaw can too. But I expect both of you to keep a good eye on these kits while Flamepelt goes hunting, and you had better be ready for training tomorrow!"

Lilypaw nodded happily. Today was going to be fun.

Gracepaw, Lilypaw, Greenkit, and Wildkit spent a happy day together, sharing fresh-kill and practicing the fighting moves that Gracepaw and Lilypaw had learned. Finally, the four of them settled down in the shade to rest for a moment.

"I can't wait to be an apprentice," Greenkit confessed to Lilypaw. "You get to go on patrols and learn how to fight. I don't know if I can wait another moon."

Lilypaw replied, "Yeah, it is great. This morning, Tallclaw asked me to go on patrol with him and Russetstripe, and I had so much fun. You get to learn a lot."

"Tallclaw, hmm?" asked Greenkit. "I'm starting to see which way the wind blows here."

"You cheeky kit," mewed Lilypaw in mock outrage. "Tallclaw and I are just friends, and that is it. Besides, I am just an apprentice."

"Whatever you say," said Greenkit. Lilypaw curled up into a ball, happy to have her best friend beside her once more.

**I love Greenkit and Lilypaw. If you love them too, or even if you hate them, tell me. REVIEW!**

**Lillypool**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry that it took me so long to update! I had a little bit of writer's block, and I was really busy, so I kind of put off writing longer than I should have. But anyways, here is the next chapter!**

Chapter Six

Lilypaw woke up to something sharp sticking into her side, something that felt like...a paw. She opened one eye and found herself looking up a Waterpaw, who was poking her in the side.

"Just one more minute," she complained.

Waterpaw's voice was somewhat urgent. "Lilypaw, we're on the dawn patrol, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," replied Lilypaw, remembering that Leopardblaze had told her to go with the dawn patrol last night. She leapt to her feet.

"OK, I'm up."

The two apprentices bounded out into the clearing just in time to see their patrol leaving without them! They raced over and followed them out of the entrance tunnel. The patrol went in the opposite direction that Lilypaw's patrol had yesterday. "We just want to make sure that WindClan aren't planning anything," explained Wolfstorm. When they reached the border, another WindClan patrol was already there. They sneered as the ThunderClan cats came closer. "Hello, Browntail," mewed Leopardblaze. "What are you up to?"

"Just marking our borders, same as you are," replied a brown she-cat. "By the way, I heard that the ThunderClan apprentice was formerly a loner. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is," replied Whiskerheart, the last member of the ThunderClan patrol. "What is it to you?"

This time, a golden colored tom spoke up. "Nothing, other then the fact that ThunderClan seems to have forgotten that loners are generally useless when it comes to warrior duties. Would you like us to take him off your paws?" Leopardblaze bristled. "Our apprentices are our business, and Smilepaw is quite able, thank you very much."

"Would you be willing to fight to prove it?" sassed an orange and white she-cat named Rabbitleap.

"We will do whatever we have to in order to protect our clanmates," replied Wolfstorm "Then you won't mind facing us."

The two patrols squared off. As well as Browntail, Rabbitleap, and the golden tom, there was a tawny apprentice. The patrols seemed pretty evenly matched. Lilypaw trembled in excitement and fear.

"Attack!" yowled Browntail. The patrols both leapt across the border and started wrestling.

Lilypaw and Waterpaw both squared up to the tawny apprentice. "Go eat mouse dung!" she hissed, then jumped at Waterpaw. He countered, and Lilypaw started scratching the other apprentice's legs.

"Leap and hold," Lilypaw whispered to Waterpaw. He nodded, and they jumped together, landing on the WindClan she-cat's back. The apprentice fought valiantly, but the weight of the two cats was too much for her to hold. She was just about to surrender, when...

A tortoiseshell she-cat arrived at the scene. Lilypaw gasped: it was Springstar! "Stop!" Springstar ordered. The WindClan cats immediately broke off from the fighting and returned to their leader's side.

Lilypaw glanced around to make sure that her clanmates were alright. _Thank StarClan, _she thought. Since it was just a border skirmish, everyone was ok, just a little scratched. "Browntail, what is going on here?" demanded Springstar.

"We reminded them about how loners are useless, and they said that they had to defend their apprentice's honor and leapt at us." Lilypaw's jaw dropped. That wasn't what had happened at all.

"Oh really," said Springstar sarcastically. "I believe that I heard your battle cry first. We will discuss this back at camp." She then turned to Wolfstorm. "I am sorry about my warrior's arrogance. Please be assured that WindClan has no grudges against ThunderClan." With that, the WindClan cats raced away.

"Whatever," mumbled Wolfstorm. Then she straightened up. "C'mon ThunderClan, let's go home."

When they got back to camp, they were immediately spotted by Poppypelt, whose expression quickly turned terrified at the sight of the patrol's scratches. "Great StarClan, what happened?" she exclaimed. But before anyone could answer her, she meowed, "I'll get Willowheart," and sprinted off.

Hollowstar ran up to them. "What happened?" He asked Wolfstorm, who had been the leader of the patrol. "We were attacked by WindClan," she replied. "They announced that loners like Smilepaw used to be are useless, and then challenged us to a fight. Then Springstar showed up. She didn't seem too happy with them, and then we both went home."

_Smilepaw, _thought Lilypaw. Where had he been while she was defending his honor? If he hadn't been doing something useful...

Willowheart bounded across the camp to join in the discussion, a bundle of herbs in her jaws. "Who's hurt?" she asked.

"My paw is injured," offered Whiskerheart. Willowheart replied "follow me," and led Whiskerheart to her den.

"You four go to your dens and rest," ordered Hollowstar, turning away. Then he paused and looked back over his shoulder, adding, "Oh, Lilypaw, Waterpaw, could you two wake up Smilepaw? He has to go on patrol"

Lilypaw stalked back to the den with Waterpaw following her from a distance. She prodded Smilepaw with her claw and hissed, "Get up! You have to go on patrol!" He jumped up, surprised, and trotted out into the clearing

_Useless cat, _Lilypaw thought. _He was sleeping the whole time we were out there! We shouldn't have fought WindClan for his honor; it's not worth fighting for. _

She curled up and licked her scars for a while, then decided that she was healthy enough to get up and go out into camp. She glanced at Waterpaw, and decided to let him sleep. Then, she padded out into camp.

Lilypaw quickly found Nightfur. "Is there anything for me to do?" she asked.

"Not right now," her mother replied. "Why don't you go and listen to the elder's stories? You used to enjoy it so much when you were a kit."

"Great idea," meowed Lilypaw. She then whirled around and trotted off to the elder's den, where the old tom named Mousefall slept. He was the only elder in ThunderClan, and he told great stories. His mate, Skystorm, had died a few moons ago.

Lilypaw padded softly into the den. "Mousefall, would you tell me a story please?" she asked quietly.

"Sure, young'un," he replied. "Would you like to hear one about Sol?" Lilypaw nodded excitedly.

"Well," Mousefall started. "Sol came pretending to be a friend, but no one was more devious then he. He first went to ShadowClan, and convinced them that they no longer needed the warrior code. It took the bravery of six young cats to set them right again. Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Tigerpaw, Dawnpaw, and Flamepaw were their names. Of course, Sol was banished, but he didn't stay away forever. He was accused of murdering a ThunderClan cat, and brought back to the clans. Unfortunately, he escaped."

"Then what happened?" Lilypaw asked.

Mousefall continued, "Sol came back once more, masquerading as a friend. He pretended to save some apprentices, yet it was really Hollyleaf who had saved them. You see, she had run away from the clan, and decided to make things right. Anyway, once Sol had gained ThunderClan's trust, he convinced some of the WindClan warriors to try and defeat ThunderClan. WindClan tried to invade our territory through some underground tunnels, but they were defeated by a patrol led by Hollyleaf, who by that time had rejoined the clan. In the end, it was Hollyleaf who rid Sol from the territory, and saved the clan's from his evilness."

Lilypaw thought about this for a while. Then she asked, "Is he really gone though?"

"Most cats think that he is," replied Mousefall. "But me, I think that he is still out there, plotting, planning the downfall of the clans. He wasn't the kind of cat that would give up easily."

"Thank you for the story," Lilypaw meowed politely. She then turned and exited the den, mulling over the story that she had just heard.

**R&R please. **

**Lillypool**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, everyone. I am so so so so so so sorry that I waited for this long to post! This year, I decided to take part in the NaNoWriMo young writer's program, so that took up most of my time in November. But I did it-I hit my goal of 30,000 words! And then in December, I had to do editing and all of that good stuff. So, once again, I'm sorry. But anyways, enough of my jibber-jabber. Here's the story!**

Chapter Seven

A moon had passed since the attack from WindClan, but Lilypaw was still wondering if ThunderClan had made the right choice in taking in Smilepaw.

After a particularly difficult morning of hunting and training, Lilypaw flopped down in the middle of camp, only to hear Hollowstar call out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!," minutes later.

As the cats assembled, Lilypaw noticed that Greenkit and Wildkit were sitting up straight and proud, and Flamepelt was purring. _Of course, _she thought. _They are going to become apprentices! _She would once more have her best friend at her side.

"Two kits have now reached their sixth moon," continued Hollowstar. "It is time for them to become apprentices. Wildkit, step forward." Wildkit bounced forward, eager and excited.

"From this day on until you have become a warrior, you shall be known as Wildpaw. Whiskerheart, I hope that you are able to teach her about calmness and self-control."

Lilypool's whiskers twitched in amusement. Wildpaw was well known for being, well, wild.

Wildpaw walked forward, and, whiskers trembling, touched noses with her new mentor.

"Greenkit, come forward," Hollowstar ordered. "From this day on until you have become a warrior, you shall be known as Greenpaw. Ambernose, I hope that you can share with her your quick thinking and resourcefulness."

The pair touched noses, and Lilypaw yowled to the sky shouting, "Greenpaw, Wildpaw!" Hollowstar leapt off of Highledge, signaling the end of the meeting.

Lilypaw rushed over to Greenpaw and Wildpaw, who were purring in excitement. "Congratulations," she meowed. "Do you want to come pick out your nests?"

"Yes, please," replied Greenpaw, and the three of them went into the apprentice den. Gracepaw was already in there, moving nests around so that the new apprentices would have room. "You guys can have these two nests," she meowed. Now, Lilypaw's and Gracepaw's nests were right next to Greenpaw and Wildpaw's nests. Waterpaw was somewhat close but far enough away that he could have a little privacy, and Smilepaw's nest was as far away from Lilypaw's as it could get. Lilypaw purred. It seemed like her sister didn't like Smilepaw either

"Greenpaw, Wildpaw," Ambernose called as she stuck her head inside the den. "Now that you two have seen the den, would you like to see the forest?" The pair nodded excitedly. "Well, c'mon then," said Ambernose as she whisked around.

"You had better go," purred Lilypaw. "You know how Ambernose gets. You can see the den later." Greenpaw and Wildpaw trotted out, chatting about what they thought they would see.

"It's going to be much louder in here," remarked Gracepaw to her sister.

"You're the expert on loud," Lilypaw teasingly replied. "It's a wonder Waterpaw, Smilepaw and I get any sleep in here." Lilypaw purred in amusement, and then ducked to escape the paw that slashed toward her as Gracepaw lashed out playfully.

Lilypaw sat back up with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hey Gracepaw, want to go down to the lake?" she asked. "We can hunt while we're down there."

"Sure," Gracepaw replied. "But I think that we have to get permission first. Let's ask our mentors if we can go." Lilypaw nodded her assent, and the two apprentices padded out of the den in search of their mentors. They soon found Leopardblaze and Driftwhisker sharing a mouse at the edge of the clearing.

"Can we go out to the lake?" asked Lilypaw politely. "We can hunt while we're down there." The two warriors nodded.

"Be careful," Driftwhisker warned, and with that, Lilypaw and Gracepaw trotted out the camp entrance, heading down to the lake.

The two walked in silence for a while, enjoying the warm sun on their backs. Eventually, they came down to the beach at the lake.

"Let's hunt," Lilypaw said, tasting the air. "I think there's a mouse over in that bush. I'll get it." With that, she crept closer and closer, eventually spotting the mouse. It was perched in front of a bush, nibbling on some seeds. Lilypaw was just about to pounce, when a yowl broke through the air. It sounded like...Whiskerheart.

_Wait a second,_ thought Lilypaw. _Wasn't Whiskerheart with Greenpaw and Wildpaw? _Greenpaw and Wildpaw! They must be in trouble. And the two of them had no idea how to fight! Lilypaw exchanged a panicked glance at her sister, and then the two of them shot off towards the WindClan border.

When they got there, a scary sight met their eyes. Ambernose, Whiskerheart, Greenpaw and Wildpaw were surrounded by five WindClan warriors. "What's the matter," jeered one of the cats. "Are the little loner apprentices scared?"

"We are not loners!" Wildpaw spat bravely at the WindClan warrior's face. And with that, the clearing exploded into battle.

Lilypaw and Gracepaw raced over to Greenpaw and Wildpaw, who were facing two large warriors. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilypaw spotted a dark blur speeding towards her...It was Smilepaw. "What are you doing here?" she asked, confused.

"I heard Whiskerheart's yowl, same as you," he replied. Then, he yowled a battle cry of his own and charged at the tom nearest him, leaving Lilypaw to run after him. At the last moment, she saw Smilepaw jump on the tom's back, so she dove for his legs, knocking them out from under him.

Smilepaw clung on as the warrior went down hard, still scratching the tom's back with his claws. The warrior tried to regain his feet, but Lilypaw dashed around him and grabbed his tail in her mouth, holding him down while Smilepaw kept on scratching. The tom yelped in pain, and so Lilypaw let him go, watching him stagger to his feet, dump Smilepaw off of him, and run across the border.

Panting, Lilypaw whirled around to where Gracepaw, Greenpaw and Wildpaw were fighting. Thankfully, they were watching a she-cat run off across the border, and none of them seemed to hurt. Ambernose and Whiskerheart were still fighting, however, with two other WindClan cats.

The five apprentices raced over, and the two WindClan warriors realized that they were outnumbered. They glanced at each other, and then they turned tail and fled across the border.

"Is everyone alright?" panted Ambernose. Lilypaw looked around, and was relieved to see that no one had anything worse then a few scratches. Ambernose must have reached the same conclusion; she flicked her tail and turned around, walking towards camp.

"Come on," she meowed over her shoulder to the five apprentices and Whiskerheart. "We have to report this to Hollowstar." The patrol padded back to camp in silence.

"Again?" was the response Hollowstar and Goldstorm gave when the patrol had returned to camp.

"Yes, WindClan attacked again," Whiskerheart spat. He and the rest of the patrol were sitting by the outside of Hollowstar's den, giving Hollowstar and Goldstorm the account of the battle. "We were attacked by Browntail, Rabbitleap, Oatclaw, Tawnypaw, and Sparrowpad. Ambernose and I were showing our apprentices the border, when they jumped from their hiding places in the grass. Before we could do anything, we were surrounded. They insulted Wildpaw and Greenpaw by calling them loners, and then attacked us. Luckily, Gracepaw, Lilypaw and Smilepaw heard the battle and came to our rescue. We fought off the warriors, and returned home."

"Hmm," meowed Hollowstar, thinking. "I wonder why they are so aggressive about this. I'll question Springstar about it at tonight's gathering. And that reminds me. I better choose who is going to the Gathering tonight. You seven are dismissed." And with that, Hollowstar leapt onto Highledge and called the summons for a clan meeting.

"Everyone, I'd like to announce the cats that are going to the Gathering tonight. I, of course, will go, as well as Goldstorm, Willowheart, Russetstripe,Flamepelt, Nightfur, Ambernose, Whiskerheart, Greenpaw and Wildpaw. Also, I want warriors to watch out when patrolling WindClan border. The warriors there have attacked two patrols in the last moon, and I want patrols to be careful. I intend to take the subject up with Springstar tonight, but be careful as an extra precaution. That is all." Then, Hollowstar leapt off of Highledge and retreated to his den.

Lilypaw yawned, suddenly tired. Leopardblaze walked over, and saw just how tired her apprentice was. "Why don't you go get some sleep?" she suggested. Lilypaw wanted to protest, but then yawned again and nodded. She slowly walked to her den, and fell asleep in her nest.

When Lilypaw woke up again, it was dark out. Waterpaw and Smilepaw were in their nests, awake too, and Gracepaw was up at the entrance of the den.

"The gathering patrol is back!" Gracepaw meowed excitedly. "And Hollowstar doesn't look happy."

Smilepaw, Waterpaw and Lilypaw stood at the same time, and the four apprentices pushed out into the clearing, and into chaos.

Cats were talking in small groups excitedly. Lilypaw scanned the clearing, looking for Wildpaw and Greenpaw, who would surely fill her in on what was going on. She spotted them just as Hollowstar leapt onto Highledge for the third time that day. She moved to join her friends, but Greenpaw signaled with her tail that Lilypaw should stay were she was.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own fresh-kill join here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting," Hollowstar called. But the words were unnecessary. The entire clan was already in the clearing.

"As many of you have heard, the Gathering didn't go very well. I accused the WindClan cats of attacking us, but Springstar said that what I was saying was nonsense, and that she had handled the issue. Then, fighting broke out between us and WindClan, and StarClan sent clouds to cover the moon. When we left, there was still tension, not only among WindClan's warriors, but ours as well. I have discussed the fighting at the Gathering with those who participated in it, and it will not be brought up again." At this point, Hollowstar's gaze landed on several cats, who hung their heads.

"Anyways, we are apparently not alone. Several cats of RiverClan believed us and a few cats of ShadowClan as well. But we should expect an attack from WindClan in the near future. I want border patrols doubled around their border, and tomorrow we shall start re-enforcing the camp walls. Are there any questions?" the clearing was silent. "Then I suggest that you all get some sleep, because preparations will begin tomorrow morning. Good night." And with that, Hollowstar retreated into his den.

The clan broke into groups, still talking about the Gathering. But some cats, including Lilypaw, took Hollowstar's words to heart. Lilypaw padded into her den and curled up in her nest, for tomorrow was going to be long and hard.

**Read and Review please! Merry Christmas!**

**Lillypool**


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